Coin-container for mail-boxes



v A. 0. 'KOSS. COIN CONTAINER FOR MAIL BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2.1919.

1,315,133. PatentedSept. 2,1919.

'IHB COLUMBIA PLANbuRAPli'c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

ALVA DANIEL KOSS, 0F CERRQ GORDO, ILLINOIS.

COIN-CONTAINER FOR MAIL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed April 2, 1919. Serial No. 287,006.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ALVA. DANIEL Koss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cerro Gordo, in the county of Piatt and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Containers for Mail-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

y invention relates to improvements in rural delivery mail boxes and more particu larly to coin rece tacles therefor.

An important 0 j ect of this invention is to provide a mail box having a coin receiving receptacle with novel receiving and dispensing coin means whereby the coin may be expeditiously handled with the possibility of loss reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described,

which is simple, neat in appearance, and

cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a mail box having my improved coin handling device applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the same taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 generally designates a rural mail box which is rectangular in form and is provided with a horizontally hinged end closure 6. The upper portion of the closure 6 is provided with a flange 7 overlapping the top 8 of the box. An operating arm 9 is connected to the flange 7 and may be engaged by a spring arm 10 carried by the top 8 of the receptacle to retain the closure 6 in an upright position.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the box 5 is provided in its upper side with an inclined chute '11 having a closure 12 horizontally hinged thereto as indicated at 13. The closure plate 12 extends below the under copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the downwardly by side of the chute 11 to effectively prevent rain and so forth entering the chute. The

chute 11 has communication with a rectan gular coln receptacle 14.

The receptacle 14 is provided with end walls 15 and 16-. A bottom wall 17 is horizontally hinged to the end Wall 15 as shown at 18 and is provided with an operating flange or finger 19. As indicated in Fig. l the flange or operating member 19 terminates flush with the front of the receptacle 14 and is disposed horizontally whereby when the flange is drawn the fingers the coins will fall... into the palm of the hand. A coil spring 20 is connected to the forward portionof the bottom 17 and the top 8 and is adapted to normall retain the receptacle closed. As clearly i lustrated in Fig. 3, the receptacle 14: is secured to the top 8 by suitable retaining elements 21 which extend through lateral projectin flanges 22 of the side walls of the receptafie.

In the use of my invention, it will be apparent that the coins are passed into the receptacle 14 through the chute 11 either for the purpose of prepaying the postage within the box or for purchasing new stamps. A flag 22 is pivoted as at 23 to the chute 11 for calling the attention of the postman to the box.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that I may make such minor changes in arrangement and construction of parts, as will remain within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1s:-

A coin receptacle for mail boxes comprising a rectangular casing disposed within the mail box and having a horizontally hinged bottom, spring said bottom in engagement with the casing, and a horizontally disposed operating mei ber carried by the forward end portion of the bottom and terminating flush with the same.

In testimony whereof Paifix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

ALVA DANIEL KOSS. Witnesses:

CnAs. TAYLOR, J. R. MoOoRD.

Washington, D. G.

means normally retaining 

